Kristen D. Special: T.V. Show Spotlight: Hunter (1984)

My normal thing on this here site is to rip apart not so great movies and hopefully make you laugh in the process. But I’m more than just a Negative Nancy, I DO like things. A lot

 

Case in point:

 

Hunter (1984)

A Recommendation By Kristen M. Dowd

Hunter was a 1980’s T.V. cop drama set in Los Angeles starring former NFL defensive end Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and songstress Stephfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall. Garret Morris also pops up in later seasons as Hunter’s wise cracking but good natured informant, Arnold “Sporty” James. The show was pretty much T.V.’s answer to Dirty Harry at the time. While Sledge Hammer! (another great show) was purposely over the top and goofy, Hunter played it mostly straight. Though of course it had it’s far share of hilarious 80’s moments. I especially love that in the DVD releases they replaced whatever music was used originally in the show with obviously updated songs that would have never been around in the 80’s. It’s gold I tell you. I noticed this in the Magnum P.I. and Knight Rider releases as well. Wonder if they were distributed by the same company?

 

I Don’t Think He’s Fucking Around

Hunter is a former street tough and son of a mobster turned no shit taking super cop. He shows very little respect for authority and pretty much does whatever it takes to bring the bad guys in. Usually causing a shit load of damage to the city and filling up the morgue. Dryer is rather imposing since he is so tall and even though he’s thin, the guy is fucking scary. He also has a cool, dry wit that makes it believable that he’s the badass he’s portrayed to be.

 

McCall, The Master Of Unlocking

But Hunter isn’t the only one who’s a badass, McCall doesn’t take any shit either. They call her The Brass Cupcake for a reason. She routinely goes undercover as a hooker to bust pimp’s asses and she has no problem being the bait in order to catch the bad guy. She’s also a skilled picklock/lockpick (er?). The woman has major cojones to say the least. Kramer is extremely likeable, plus she and Dryer have great chemistry. You could tell they were having a ton of fun working on the show.

The show ran for seven seasons, ending in 1991. There were two T.V. movies released and it was even revived in 2003, with Dryer and Kramer returning. Sadly it was short lived, lasting only a few episodes and most didn’t even know it existed. I should know, I was one of those people until last week. I don’t want to spoil the show too much for you, so pick up the DVDs on Amazon.

 

 Here’s Season One’s Opening Theme, My Personal Favorite:

Hunter Season One Theme

Come on man, listen to that opening riff. Don’t tell me that shit didn’t get you excited.

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